Women and Children First
by kittykute
Summary: In the year of 1912, the TITANIC sets sail. Along with its cargo, a band of theives plots their scheme, an heiress to a major company swears on revenge and her sister falls in love at the worst possible time, will they survive the fall of the ship?KxM CxA


Women and Children First

By .kittykute

Hey peoples. How's life? Great, great. This is a re-do of one of my less popular fanfics. In the beginning it was called Titanic: The Sinking of History. NOW it's called Women and Children First. And NO it is not named after Matellica's album. So, yeah, don't sue me Lars.

It's a Gundam SEED fanfic. I hope you enjoy all that I have to offer, and please, please, on God's good humor, REVIEW. This is mostly a KiraxMeriallia Fanfiction, that along side a little AthrunxCagalli and some DearkaxOC. Yeah, Yzak can't get any here.

Arigato.

.kittykute.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't own the Gundams, and so your lawyers can't sue. HAHA!

Chapter ONE

They had got it. Just one more teeny _**tiny **_slip, and they were as golden as fucking Buckingham Palace. Dearka quickly jerked the yellowed parchment tickets and took off screaming across the bar room, and out onto the quay. Laughing like a loonie from Bedlam, he took off down the wooden pathway, while pushing out of his way anyone who came into his path.

Finally, he noticed the blue haired guy leaning agenst a large black and green carriage, and ran quickly towards him.

"Athrun! I got them!" Dearka cried, Athrun fixed his flat beret which was bobbled down, covering his eyes, he threw out his smoke from his mouth and grinned.

"Great good job Dearka! We'll in luck, Yzak and Kira are waiting by the third class entrance. Let's go." Running through the heavily together crowd Dearka Elsman and Athrun Zala raced towards the third class entrance, despite the various glares and looks from snobbish first class people.

Finally, Dearka stopped to take a breather, when she felt a push on his back and was flung head first into the ground.

"Sorry, man. Did you get them?" Kira Yamato appeared beside him, holding out his hand to help him up. Dearka took it and stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants. Dearka nodded and handed a ticket to Yzak, Athrun, Dearka and also kept one for himself.

For two whole weeks, they had been following, (Yzak called it stalking, but he wanted to do it to, they knew he wanted to.)

This old man who had bought four tickets for the Maiden Voyage of the _**Titanic.**_ From what they pieced together, he had the biggest spat with his wife, slapped her dry, and left the two kids with all the money. Retarded cocksucker.

"Ok, once we get on the ship, don't go fucking around. Yzak."

"What?"

"What we'll do, is get to our rooms then explore the entire place, top to freaking bottom, and we'll figure out where the treasury is. Then, as skilled thieves," Kira lowered his voice down to an even, breaking whisper.

"We'll jack most of it and bring to America, and live like Kings, man!" Yzak smirked while Athrun stayed emotionless, like a high class marble statue. Dearka was smiling like mad, knowing he was going to make it rich.

"Now, wouldn't you think that on a ship like the _**Titanic, **_that they're wouldn't be any treasury, or even a storage compartment? Or even the cargo! The bloody cargo has to be worth _**millions.**_ And if we get out hands on that load, Jesus, we'll be rich!" Kira climaxed in angst. Athrun hooted and took off his hat.

Coming out of no where, a steward tapped Kira on the shoulder Shocked, Kira spun around and faced the brown haired man.

"Excuse me, Gentleman? But if you are boarding the Titanic, you'd better hurry up. It'd leaving in five minutes."

------------------

Running faster then ever, the group of skilled friends weaved in and out of the crowds towards the third class entrance door. The third class rooms were in the lower part of the ship, near the starboard-front of the ship thing goin' on.

Dearka ran directly into an elderly woman with white hair. She smacked him hard on the nose with her diamond encrusted purse and told him to 'shoo' like some type of small creature. He caught up with the rest of the guys as the ramp was just being taken away. Kira ran right up it without stop and flew into the near closed door, Yzak followed after him and nearly fell into the water before Kira grabbed his arm and pulled him in. Athrun came next and flew in without a flaw.

Dearka, on the other hand, stumbled and soared towards the door, where the three stood, cheering him on. Dearka grasped the edge of the bottom of the archway and held on Athrun and Kira bent down without a second to spare, and Kira grabbed his arm and Athrun grabbed the scruff of his neck.

"Oh, shit man! Pull me up! Pull me up!" Dearka pleaded, Kira obediently found his coordinator powers and pulled Dearka up in a single pull. He was brought right up to his feet as he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"You stupid fuck couldn't you run faster?" Yzak scolded, Kira rolled his eyes while Dearka muttered some curse under his breath.

"You didn't even help to pull him up." Athrun said calmly as Yzak shook his head.

"So? Your point?" Yzak snapped at them. Athrun fixed his cap and turned around. Behind them was a timid looking elderly man with white hair and a startled expression on his face.

"Are you four lad's passengers?" The man asked with a Scottish accent. Athrun nodded, the troupe handed him their stolen tickets. He took a look at them and then ripped off the bottom of the tickets and handed the tickets back to them.

"So, does Mr. Anderson and his wife and children request a luggage check?" The man asked, Kira went white immediately.

"Par…pardon?" Dearka sputtered, the old man smiled.

"Never mind. Where did you get these tickets? They obviously aren't yours, you daft men." Yzak cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Be bought them off him, Sir. He ran into a bit of bad luck and sold them for their dinner that night. Sold them to me for a nice 5£." Yzak invented, the old man seemed to believe him.

"What about your lice checks?"

"Lice? We don't have lice. We're Americans."

"I doubt that but sure. It ain't my ass." The man said, and ushered them into the hallway of the Titanic.

"Your rooms are down the stairs to the left and down the hallway with all the china men." The old man said, Athrun, Kira, Yzak and Dearka took tentative steps down the hallway and found their way into their rooms.

"Jesus, I feel like I'm in fucking Chinatown," Yzak said while observing all of the Chinese immigrants running around trying to read the signs directing to their room. One balding, white haired man came to up Athrun and gripped on his arm and started to mumble in incoherent Chinese.

"I no speak Chinese!" Dearka said and started to walk away from a Chinese lady trying to sell him a moon cake.

"Ok, here we go." Kira said, he opened the door and they found themselves in an small room with two bunk beds on either side and a wash stand and a water basin at the back wall, over looking a small window into the edge of the sea.

"Not exactly what I was hoping for but whatever." Kira said and scooted up the bunk bed and sat on the top, with his sack of clothes at his feet. Athrun took the bunk below him. Yzak took the top of the other bunk and Dearka was left with what else, but the other bottom bunk.

He layed down on it, then instantly got bored.

"How long are we on this boat for?"

"About two weeks." Athrun answered for him. Dearka smiled wickedly.

"Should we go find some girls?" He asked, Athrun gave him a queer look.

"Sure, I'll come." Kira said and flew down from the bunk. Athrun laughed and pulled out a book that he was hiding in his sack. (Hehe…not really. Just clothes sack…. yeah.)

"Girls? You two have one-track minds." Without saying anything, Kira exited the apartment, but as Dearka walked out, he crooned;

"Sorry, Yzak we forgot. You're a fag."

XTiTaNiCX

The only thing on her mind was the fact that her feet hurt. The three inch shoes suspended her weight on her toes like ballet slippers but ten times more painful.

"Ouch, Cagalli show down a bit." Meriallia pleaded, Cagalli turned around, her white dress fanning.

"I told you that you shouldn't have worn those shoes. Those are dinner shoes. You only wear them at dinner where you're sitting then immediately sent to your room." Cagalli scolded. Meriallia pouted a lip to her step sister.

"But Father got these for me especially." Meriallia replied, Cagalli rolled her eyes and swung back to face her sister.

"Father only got them because you begged for them. Remember?" Meriallia cast her gaze aside as she sat down on an over stuffed chair in relief. A maid instantly came to her, asking for her a drink.

"Yes hot water and lemon, and you Cagalli?" Cagalli put down her parasol and took off her elbow length gloves.

"Yeah I'd like coffee, black."

"Yes, ma'am. We have some remarkable butter cookies, would you like some?" The stewardess questioned.

"Yeah, give us a dozen. Oh and miss, I'd like one shot of Vodka too, please. Thanks." The maid scurried away, obviously disturbed by the order.

"Cagalli you know Father would burn the ship down if he figured out that you were drinking hard liquor." Meriallia said, Cagalli scoffed as the maid came back along.

"Your hot water and lemon and butter cookies, dear, and your coffee and Vodka." The waitress said, and then backed away. Cagalli took the crystal shot glass and gulped it down, the hot pain searing her parched throat felt good. She then took a dainty sip of coffee.

"He'll kill you if he ever found out."

"And who's gonna tell him? You?" Cagalli remarked, Meriallia started to chew on one of the cookies.

"It's not my fault that you're a stuck up snob who loves her Pappy. You just wish you had the urge to do it." The neatly folded napkin on her lap was pulled off and Meriallia painfully stood up.

"I'm going back to the room. Don't eat all those cookies or you'll get fat." Meriallia added and turned on her heel painfully. She limped back towards the hallway and entered the Main Hall, where the grand stair case lay carved perfectly into the ship. She took a painful, uncertain step up, then continued up, every step was a new world of pain on her feet.

Personally she didn't know where the hell she was going, so when she finally realized that she was in a white hallway, so much different from her own wing of the ship, she took off her shoes and sighed in relief.

"Oh, that feels better." She whispered and then hobbled off towards her cabin. First class passenger's accommodations were nothing short of beautiful. Gold gilded clocks, wonderful paintings, finest woods and metals, polished mirrors and your own bathroom, a very rare accommodation to expect. Meriallia Opened the door to her suit with her key and stepped inside. She layed back onto a left handed chaise and took off her silk pantyhose and threw it into an near-by open suitcase. She knew that she wouldn't unpack completely and by the time she didn't, she would have to pack it all up again.

The fact that she was really going to New York appalled and frightened Meriallia. Cagalli was arranged to marry some guy named Yuna or something like that, a rich oil miner from somewhere in Canada. Apparently Milly was supposed to meet up again with his brother, Matt. But wasn't looking forward to it. Knowing her step father, he'd try to marry her up with him as soon as she was old enough. She sighed in frustration and crossed her ankles. They were so red and sore she couldn't even get up, but agenst the protests of her feet, Meriallia stood up and clambered over to the painting of water lilies by Monet and flung it open. Behind it was a strong looking wall safe, Meriallia carefully opened the safe and took out and old, faded looking leather brief case. It was small, too small to carry clothes but large enough to hold a necklace, which Milly was looking for.

The first time she had met Matt, he was a sweet funny black haired God that Meri couldn't help but gawk at. And when he sat next to her and put his hand on the thigh of her stocking, she nearly cried out.

"Take this to remember me by," He had said. Meriallia opened the case and was met with a silvery-blue diamond. (This is totally copy-right but I don't own Titanic the Motion Picture. Just so you don't sue me.) She fingered the silver chain and felt his hands on her shoulders, putting it on her.

"That Heart of the Ocean," He whispered into her ear.

"Is it a sapphire?"

"No, dearest. It was taken from the crown of Louis the Sixteenth; it's the largest and most perfect diamond on earth. Wear it as a symbol of my undying love for you. Never forget who loves you the most." He said softly into her ear, sending shivers down her spine, delicious emotions wracking at her most secretive parts.

The cabin door burst open and in strode Cagalli, looking very cross and upset.

"Well, I hope you're happy, Milly! That stupid bitch, the Countess of Milan said to her little followers as I pasted by her on my here. She said to them; 'I hear that your sister stormed out of the tea room. Did she hear that your parents just announced bankruptcy?' I could strangle the whore! I can't believe Papa actually favors her." Cagalli took one look at the case in Milly's hands and smiled.

"Is my sister love-sick?" Cagalli said in a sing song voice.

"No! I'm just… looking at it." Cagalli sat down at her sisters feet and opened the case and stared at the diamond and whistled.

"Wow! I didn't think it'd be that big. How much do you think it cost?" Cagalli questioned.

"I don't know. But it looks quite expensive, I wonder if he likes me…"

"Likes you? He gave you a fucking diamond the size of a bloody peach stone and damn you don't think he loves you?" Cagalli cursed, being quite used to Cagalli's language, Meriallia snapped back the box and shut it.

"I don't know Cagalli. I'm going to check out the—" The suit door opened again and in strode Yuna. (I can't recall his last name. SORRY.) And at his heels was his little brother, Matt.

Messy black hair and mysterious green eyes shot out at her from a cloud of his thick bangs.

"Milly! Surprise!" Matt called from the door way. Ignoring the searing pain in her feet Meriallia raced off the couch and into the arms of her soon-to-be fiancée.

"Oh, Matt! I've missed you so much it hurts."

"Really? With the pain from missing you I could survive a dozen bullets afterwards. So are you surprised?" Meriallia laughed and took her arms off from him.

"I'm so very surprised, thank you, dearest," Milly then dared something she hadn't even thought of before. She planted her lips upon his, softly, for a second then released. Matt looked shocked but relived.

"Well, I'm glad as well. Please, would you join for dinner?" Yuna asked from Cagalli's embrace. She seriously looked terribly uncomfortable ad upset.

"Yes, we will but we must change for dinner. Please would you two go on ahead and we'll be there in an hour?" Yuna bowed in agreement and turned on his shiny, wooden heel and waltzed out the door. Matt bowed his head without taking his eyes off Meriallia until he softly shut the door.

After they were gone, Cagalli growled and kicked off her shoes.

"Oh, I hate that basterd! If I could I'd kill Father for engaging us! He's so cocky and he's a smart jackass and I just hate his aura!" Cagalli raged, Meriallia stood up and hugged her step sister, holding onto her waist as she sulked into her shoulder.

"Hey, don't cry. Here, I'll come in and help you with your corset, ok? Just hold it all in until we see mother tomorrow. I'm sure if you tell her she'll tell Father to break it all off." Meriallia insisted. Cagalli laughed and brushed a tear from her amber eye.

"Milly don't you see? The money is gone. Papa drank his hard earned money away when he found out that Mama couldn't have another boy for him to pass on the business to. If I marry Yuna or if you marry Matt and have a boy then everything will be alright again! We'll be rich and happy again like we used to be. I won't be selfish and throw that all away for the sake of my happiness." She explained. Milly was terribly shocked and fell back down onto the chaise.

"It's all gone?"

"Every single dollar, it's all gone." It took a full minute for Meriallia to get it, and then finally she stood up.

"It's up to us, isn't it? We have to marry Yuna and Matt for Daddy." She stood up with the pain still in her ankles and reached for the whiskey bottle on a silver tray. She poured two shot glasses full and handed one to Cagalli.

"For Mother and Father,"

"Yes," Cagalli said in a final tone, she downed the forbidden drink. Mer stared at it for a second, then let the hot scorch her throat, making her cough.

"Well at least you tried." Cagalli said.

"Hand me over the bottle."

XTiTaNiCX

"Go Kira!"

"Kick his arse, lad!"

"Don't ya loose, I got a dollar ridin' on yer!" With sweat tumbling down his face Kira fought to keep his arm up and away from the side of the table. He was foolish to accept such a challenge from such a brawny looking man, but after all he was hammered.

Dearka and Athrun were cheering beside him while Yzak was on the side, sipping from a pint of beer and smoking on a roughly rolled cigarette. Finally, Kira found a sudden burst of strength and pushed the man's arm onto his side of the table. A roar of cheering erupted from the crowd of Irishmen, Swedes, Englishmen, Frenchmen and Ukrainians.

"Good go, mon! Ya kicked his arse, ya did!" shouted a rough looking Scotsman from his side. He was shoved a pint of nip as he downed half of it in one drawl. Kira was high fived by many a men until he finally stood up and stumbled over to another table, where he tugged the cigarette from Yzak's hand.

"Great round, Kira! And all along I thought you were a weakling." Kira laughed and took a suck on his cigarette.

"Shut up, Dearka you jackass fool." Athrun scolded from Kira's right hand side.

"Don't worry about him, Athrun." Kira said in a slurred voice, he stood up and wobbled out the door.

"I'ma goin' back to da room," Kira mumbled incoherently, he faltered back towards the room and flopped onto the bed and slept for a long time.

The next morning at 11 o'clock, when he woke up Yzak was up agenst the wall with dried blood down the front of his shirt. Dearka and Athrun were no-where to be seen. With a painful tug at the back of his head, Kira leaped out from the bed and shook Yzak awake.

"Yzak! Yzak you prat, wake up! Where's Athrun and Dearka?" Yzak smiled and started to scrape away the blood off his chin.

"There was a fight after Athrun went out for a smoke and I guess Dearka got a part in it, you know him. He dragged me back here after I got a good throw in the nose. I think I've been knocked out ever since." He spat out some blood onto his sleeve.

"You go look for 'em. I'm not in any shape for that," He delegated, nodding Kira strode out the door and into the hallway.

True to Yzak's words, many men from the party last night were sporting gashes, cuts and bruises from last night's events. Kira avoided acknowledges from any guy he spotted and got around looking for Athrun and Dearka. The first place he looked was the bar. Tables and chairs were splintered and broken. Beer was spilled upon the floor and the whole room reeked of blood, vomit and sweat. Kira sniffled the air and put his sleeve to his nose. No body was in the room.

He ran outside to the promenade deck, where at the front of the ship was Athrun, sleeping on a bench with three cigarette butts on the boards.

"Athrun, Athrun wake up man." Kira cried, and shook him awake. Athrun's emerald eyes opened wide as he jumped up in shock.

"Wha?" Athrun questioned and looked around in alarm.

"Chill out, man! Do you know where Dearka is?" Athrun shook his head and sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. The day was cold, and wet and rain started to trickle down on them.

"No, I don't the last thing I remember was—"The last night came flooding back to him. The blonde girl with the amber eyes and tears streaking her face, she was pissed off at her boyfriend or whatever and he tried to jump off…

_**Last Nights Events**_

After Kira had stumbled back to him room in a drunken state, and Dearka was out doing god-knows-what, Athrun went out onto the deck for a smoke. The air was cold and moist and it stung the boy's face in short bursts. He lit the smoke with a match and flicked it over the edge and watched the bright orange flame disappear into the dark water. He inhaled the smoke and exhaled, watching the smoke dance about his head. The sun had gone down three hours ago at 6:00.

From behind him, Athrun could hear the sound of high heels storming across the deck. He paid no mind to it until a flaxen haired, amber eyed girl appeared beside him, about two meters down the white railing. She didn't even look at him as she kicked off her shoes, one failing behind her, one falling off the deck, vanishing off the face of the earth. She took off her nearly transparent mesh shrug and dropped it onto the wooden deck. She took one look at Athrun then hoisted herself up and over the rail, looking into the water as she went. Athrun threw over his smoke and ran over to her saying;

"Hey, look lady what the hell are you doing?" She sniffled.

"What does it matter to you, asshole?" Her breath reeked of a mixture of red wine and whiskey. Athrun squinted his eye.

"It matters because I don't want you to slip and fall and kill yourself. Now get back over here!" He layed one hand upon hers and she yanked it away.

"Look, I don't know what you think you're gonna get outta this but I'm jumping and I don't care if some yippy, third-class fool dies with me! Now leave me alone!" She demanded, but Athrun pressed on.

"You know the water looks very, very cold—"

"You don't think I know that?" The girl hissed back.

"Just so you know. I remember when I was younger when I lived in Quebec I used to skate around the huge pound like a moat which was around a small island. I went skating there with my mother and I fell though some thin ice while I was skating." The story was a lie, of course, but a lie that could save her life.

"The water was so cold, it was as if millions of needles were pressing onto my skin like a dressmaker. I was out cold for a day or so." Athrun took another disapproving look at the water rushing below.

"I'd hate to do it," He took a step back and stripped off his jacket and he started to un-do his boots.

"What… what are you doing?" She asked after he got his hat off.

"If you say you're gonna go in, then I guess I'll go in after you. It's the gentlemanly thing to do," The snobbish girl watched as he folded his clothes up neatly on the deck and took his cigarettes and matches out of his pocket. He walked over to the rail again and scooped up a life ring with a rope attached to it and pushed it around his waist.

"It's your call, lady," He said, the golden-haired girl took one look at his determined face and started to wail hysterically. Athrun took off the life preserver and hugged the girl's petite frame from over the rail.

"So, you gonna come over?" He asked into her hair, the girl nodded and let go of the rail and latched her arms around his neck. She took one step up, but slipped on the hem of her dress, making her loose balance and tumble off the rail.

"Oh my God! Help! Help me!" The young woman cried, and clutched on tighter to Athrun's neck, nearly suffocating him.

"I've got you!" He assured, and took his hands from off the rail and around her waist and pulled her over with all the strength he could muster. The flung backwards and onto the hard, wooden deck. Athrun bumped his head on the deck with solid force and shut his eyes. The girl rushed off of him and fumbled with him.

"Oh…sir? Mr., please wake up! Please!" The girl looked around to see if anybody was looking then cursed.

"This is bulshit, bulshit." She whispered and tossed her bangs from her face and leaned down over his. Athrun cracked open an eyelid and smiled. But to his own surprise, she started to flex her fingers over his cheeks, which was a random twist. He opened his eyes in shock and smiled.

"That tickles," He surrendered, the girl grinned, her eyes still slightly puffy from crying.

"I knew that would work, my step-sister Meriallia wakes up every time I do that, it annoys her terribly." The girl explained, Athrun sat up and looked into the girl's tawny colored eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm Athrun." He stuck out his hand and she shook it.

"Athrun Zala,"

"I'm Cagalli Attha," The teenager said, Athrun opened his eyes wide in shock.

"Attha? You mean the railroad Attha?" Cagalli nodded and stood up from her position on her knees.

"Yes, I'm his daughter." She looked up towards a large Roman numeral clock.

"I really should be getting back." She said and picked up her shoe and shawl from the wooden boards.

"Wait! Umm, could I be so bold as to ask why you tried to jump?" Cagalli smiled and wrapped her shawl around her shoulders. She sat down on the wooden bench and motioned for him to sit beside her.

"I'm engaged to a horrible man, Athrun. He…" She stopped to look around again, and even then she covered her lips with her perfectly manicured hand.

"He sleeps around, and I got sick of it. At dinner tonight, he excused himself to go to the bathroom and I saw him kissing one of the maids that come to our room do take our laundry." She fumbled with a large diamond ring on her ring finger. She stuck her hand out for him to see.

"Holy shit! You'd sink right to the bottom with that on. Sorry for the language," He apologized, she rolled her eyes.

"So I ran out on him at dinner, I'm surprised he hasn't—"

"Cagalli! What the hell are you doing with this man?" From behind them came a cluster of rich business men, one holding onto the leash of an evil looking bugle dog.

"Yuna!" Cagalli stuttered and gave Athrun one last look.

"I was only talking to him," Yuna took her by the shoulders and covered her with his dinner jacket.

"Did he hurt you?" Athrun heard him whisper, Cagalli shook her head.

"You! What did you do to my fiancée?" The cerulean haired man demanded.

"Nothing sir, we were only talking. I came out for a smoke and she was here, looking over at the propellers. We didn't do anything wrong if that's what you're thinking,"

"In fact," Cagalli butt in.

"He saved my life. When I was looking over at the propellers I flipped over kind of and I nearly fell over but Mr. Zala here saved me." She said in a matter-of-factly voice. Yuna took an odd look at Athrun then at Cagalli, and then he smiled in a weird way.

"Well, if that's the case then I congratulate you, Mr. Zala." He passed by one of his accomplices and whispered, "Give him a twenty and tell him to fuck off," Cagalli thrust her hand onto her hips.

"A twenty? You think my life is only worth a twenty dollar bill?" She crooned; Yuna rolled his eyes and took another disapproved look at Athrun.

"Why don't you invite Mr. Zala to dinner, dearest Yuna? Give him a chance to show off his chronicle to our friends," Cagalli insisted.

"Fine, dinner tomorrow, First Class dining room, 7:00 sharp," Yuna said with a hint of disgust. He trailed away along with his assistants when one turned and said.

"It's funny, it seems like it was a split second thought yet you had enough time to un-do your shoes and take off your jacket," He said in monotone then trailed off along with his group.

Cagalli smiled coyly and patted his cheek.

"How about I meet you here at around 5:30 tomorrow, ok?" She whispered. She shook his hand and in it, left a note.

_**Room # 784**_, the note read. Athrun took a last look at the amber eyed beauty and crunched up the note and put it into his pocket.

He would have been happy with the twenty.

_**End of Last Nights Events**_

Athrun took out the note again to see if it wasn't a dream. Happily, it wasn't.

"Got lucky last night?" Kira asked with a modest smile. Athrun smiled himself and slipped it back into his jeans pocket.

"I guess you could call that," He would never forget the blonde haired girl in a shamrock green dress ever, he vowed.

XTiTaNiCX

The next morning, (While Kira was looking for Dearka and Athrun,) the door opened and banged on the wall behind it as Cagalli and Yuna came in arguing. Meriallia was sprawled on the loveseat, deeply into _**Withering Heights**_.

"Are you that _**stupid **_Cagalli? Letting some third class passenger touch you like that? Get close to you like that? God knows what he has festering in his hair!"

"You think I give a rat's ass? He saved my life! Something you wouldn't even dare to do! You'd save your own tail first!" Meriallia stood up and hobbled back into her suit and shut the cherry colored door behind her. Still, she could hear their ugly words.

"Cagalli I hate to fight with you, please just forget about that guy, 'Athrun' or whatever. I don't want you to get hurt." Cagalli snorted.

"You're just jealous that I was talking to another guy," Cagalli said.

"You know what? Yes I am. I'm terribly desirous, ok? Now please forget him." There was a silence as Meriallia curled up at the bottom of her door, hunching her knees up to her chest.

"I love you and only you. I want you…"

"Tell that to all those other girls you've fucked behind my back," There was the terrible laugh of flesh upon flesh and there was the sound of breaking china and glass. Meriallia flew out of her room and pushed Yuna to the ground and kicked his knee.

"You fuck off! Get out of our room before I chop off your balls you crouch pheasant!" He stayed paralyzed.

"FUCK OFF!" Milly screeched and sent Yuna tumbling out the door, as scared as a new born lamb.

Once he was gone, Meriallia came to Cagalli's side and helped her up. She was trembling and her cheek was as red as a cherry.

"Oh, Cagalli, I'm so, so sorry I said that to him," Cagalli laughed.

"I guess I'm finally rubbing off on you. I'm glad you said that to him, Mer," Cagalli took her step-sister close and kissed the top of her head.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," She whispered into her hair. With tears sliding down her cheeks, Milly broke the rare embrace and started to collect and clean the broken bits of china and glass.

"You hurry along for tea, Milly while I freshen up, ok?" Milly nodded and stood up from her knees. She exited the room as Cagalli fell to her side and wept into her hand for she knew all was lost for her future.

Meriallia bravely paraded down the hallway into the tea room despite all the whispers revolving around her and her new family. Where had the Hawws come from? Where was Molly Haww's first husband? Why did Cagalli's father marry Meriallia's mother? Why? Why? Why?

Questions swarmed around them and their mysterious appearance like flies to honey. But Meriallia disregarded these questions and sat down in a lady-like manner as if she owned the entire White Star Line company, she qued the maid for grey earl tea and dark chocolate truffles when Cagalli came along with a face full of baby powder.

"Another black coffee, miss?" The maid asked her Cagalli nodded, trying to fight tears.

"Cagalli everything will be ok, I assure you. You don't have to marry Yuna, I'll just marry Matt and—"

"No, Milly if I don't marry Yuna then you can't marry Matt for love or for money." Cagalli explained, the napkin in Meriallia's lap became wrinkled.

"So, I can't marry Matt?"

"No, you're gonna marry Matt because I have to marry Yuna. I wouldn't do that to Father," Cagalli sighed, Meriallia chewed upon a dark chocolate truffle that was brought to her in a lady like motion.

"What if we run away, Milly? We'll, we'll go and marry some middle class bankers and have ourselves cocktail parties every Friday night and we'll have a good time! What do you say?" Cagalli asked, Milly took another truffle from the tray.

"But Cagalli, I really love Matt," Cagalli smirked and took a sip from her white china cup.

"Matt doesn't love you, his father only wants our company and by a merger then it will be possible," Cagalli explained.

"That isn't possible, he gave me the necklace!" Cagalli couldn't help but laugh again.

"Yes, and who do you think gave him the necklace to give to you?" Meriallia took a dainty sip from her cup. Cagalli stood up and placed her napkin on the table.

"I'm sorry but I have to meet with somebody, excuse me." She said and walked off, leaving Meriallia to eat her truffles alone.

When she was done, she smiled at the maid and exited back to her room. She entered and shut the door quietly behind her. She was bored. So terribly bored it shook her, so she sat down on her bed and started to read her book again and when she grew tired of this, she sat up on her bed and started to twiddle her thumbs for a little while. Then, it came to her.

Why shouldn't she go explore the place? You know, see what the rooms and everything are like on the second and third class floors. She couldn't risk anybody recognizing her as a first class passenger so she smiled wickedly and ran to her closet and pulled out one of the most plain and simple dresses she could find, a dark blue long sleeved dress that twirled along her ankles, she threw on black high heels and ran out, hoping she wasn't seen. She messed up her hair a little bit as she went towards the foyer where the large clock and elevator was.

She appeared on the elevator when Mr. and Mrs. Brown came on. They looked distastefully at Meriallia then turned their backs on her. She smiled and knew she wouldn't be recognized; they got out on B deck while Milly got out on C deck, where the third class passengers resided. The hallways were simple and white with dark navy carpeting, Milly watched in awe as a group of solemn looking Chinese men came walking by and into the elevator. The women wore no expensive, over the top hats or frilly, show-off gowns, nor did the men flaunt their money off in stylish and expensive suits and tails. They all wore simple reliable clothing, as did the children. Milly suddenly felt over dressed in her least dressy dress.

She walked out towards the front of the ship, and rested her arms along the white railing and rested her head upon them and stared out into the dark green water. Below her was a group of rough looking men, except for one which was a brown haired boy who was staring up at her from the third class deck. She looked away and looked up at the warm colored sky and let the ocean breeze take her away.

XTiTaNiCX

Kira stared up at the burgundy haired girl atop the first class deck. He was with Yzak and Dearka, who he had found trying to get off with a blond haired Swede, Athrun was no where to be seen. Dearka saw who he was looking at and smirked.

"Oh yeah? You think you can get that? She's too pretty for you, Kira my friend," Dearka smothered his head with his hand and Kira knocked it off. She was beautiful, her hair, her deep mother earth green eyes. They shone at him even from that far. She took one look at him and disappeared into the depths of the ship.

"Hey, Kira?" Dearka said he took another look atop the ship.

"You'd have to have angels coming outta your ass for her to notice you," Dearka assured, Yzak took a puff of his smoke and threw it over the ledge.

"Yeah, speaking of which where the hell is Athrun?"

"He said he had a date," Yzak snorted and sniffed the air.

"I think dinner will be done soon, let's go in."

"It's barely 6:00!" Dearka cried out, Yzak flicked his nose with his thumb.

"That doesn't mean that they wouldn't start it now," Yzak smirked and went towards the dining room with his hands in his jeans pockets. Dearka sighed and scratched the back of his head and followed Yzak in, Kira stood and watched where the girl stood then followed his friends inside

XTiTaNiCX

"This is quite good, you know Athrun," Cagalli said as she read his past entries of his journal then snapped it shut then handed it back to him.

"Thank you," He said as she tucked it carefully back into his jacket pocket. Cagalli leaned back on the wooden lounge chair and breathed in the deep, sweet breeze.

True to her word, she was waiting for him along the rail where that very night before she had tried to commit suicide. When he first saw her again, dressed in a strapless dark wine colored dress, she took his breath away. He had no idea why she would want to continue knowing him. After all, he was a third class passenger.

"Athrun, I'm glad you came finally," she said then started walking around the ship with him at her side; they spoke idly about the weather, and Athrun's background.

"And before I came here I lived in a box beside a sleazy stripper bar in London, when I heard about the Titanic, me and my friends couldn't pass up a chance to go back home," Athrun said, and then shrugged his shoulders.

"My past isn't very interesting what about you? I hardly know you yet even though I saved your life," Cagalli let off a small smile as she suddenly stopped and rested her arms along the rail on the port side of the ship. Many people were walking by them, but to Cagalli they were nobody important. If the Queen herself could be seen picking her nose or scratching her ass beside her, she wouldn't have cared. Athrun was beside her, and that seemed to her the only thing that mattered right now in her life.

"Describing my life wouldn't be interesting, and it would only last about a minute," Athrun smiled and leaned backwards on the bar.

"Try me," Was the only thing he said to her as she smiled and crossed her arms and looked out into the azure blue sea.

"My mother died when I turned 13 two days before my birthday party. They had the cake and the ice cream and the presents and everything when my mother collapsed in the bathtub while she was getting ready for the rehearsal dinner. It was as if my birthday was totally forgotten. I probably wouldn't have even had my presents if I hadn't horded them back in my room.

A year later my father married Molly Haww… my mother's best girlfriend, Meriallia's father had died a long time ago from cancer so Molly was left alone to raise a young two year old daughter by herself. Milly and I have a one year difference so I was dubbed the oldest as soon as they returned from the honeymoon. I was supposed to be perfect, the eldest, the one who was the first and best. But for a long time it felt as if I was cheated out of that by Meriallia. She was prettier, smarter and more elegant then I ever was. I'm the rebel daughter playing football with the gardener's sons and nephews when they came along.

"Etiquette classes were such a bore that I skipped them without a worry and escaped to my room to read vicious vampire romance novels with ravish sex scenes and descriptive fights." She sighed as she remembered the good times, where Milly wasn't a constant bother, and when she would snuggle up to her father on the big, black leather couch in his study. She was 10, her mother was up in the library reading some book, her father was perched on the big black leather chair behind his desk. He'd smile when she came in through the door in her nightgown and she'd run up to his desk and he'd take her in his arms and give her a big bear hug, and blow raspberries into her neck which made her laugh. Her father would then take out a book of Grimm's Fairytales and they'd travel towards the large, four seater couch and Cagalli would lie down on his leg with her feet going past the end armrest and out. Her favorite story was Hansel and Gretel. He'd read it out with such passion that she would usually fall asleep there. Then her father would always carry her to her bed in his arms where he'd tuck her in and kiss her on the forehead and shut the door all but a crack so she could sleep assuredly.

Lost in her reverie, she hardly felt the ocean mist bathe her hair, or the waving of Athrun's hand in front of her face.

"Hello? Cagalli?" She blinked and looked at Athrun, then the people walking leisurely around her. She turned her head to meet his eyes again.

"Yeah, ahh… sorry." Cagalli said briskly, and started to twiddle with her fingers.

"So, is there anymore?" Athrun asked, Cagalli looked to him again, and then to her hands. She nodded.

"Yes, after they were married, Molly and Meriallia moved in with us. I," She paused to look around for any traces for Milly or anyone else she knew personally. She leaned in to his ear and whispered to him.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Milly like a little sister but I feel like she stole the love from my father that used to me mine. Now he won't even talk to me first, he'd always phrase Meriallia on some small little thing she'd done, while I have to strive at huge things to make him notice me." A pained look came to her eyes.

"Out of curiosity, Meriallia stole some of my fathers papers from his desk one day. One of them was his will," She looked around once again.

"He left Molly and Meriallia the house, most of his fortune and my mothers china and linens. Now I couldn't care for the money or the house for I have my own wealth in my fiancée, but my mother's things? He went too far." Cagalli's eyes reddened. Athrun saw this and plucked an old, tattered hanky from his pocket.

"This is expensive," Cagalli said as she dotted her eyes with the handkerchief.

"Yeah, I looted it from some guy, somewhere." She smiled as she gave it back to him.

"So, what's it like, parading about on your own free will without any responsibilities tying you down?" Athrun laughed and stuffed the cloth back into his jacket.

"You make it sound so interesting when it's not. It's very hard sometimes, you don't know where your next meal will be or where you'll sleep next and if you're sick you have only ample pocket change for a smoke or a drink." Athrun drummed his fingers on the railing.

"It's very—" Cagalli hushed him as a fair skinned, handsome man came down the boards with a loose white shirt and black pants.

"Hello Cagalli," He chimed in a warm voice. Cagalli curtsied and smiled. Athrun could tell it was fake.

"Hello Matt, how are you? Where's Milly?"

"I'm fine, thanks. Actually, she sent me to call on you. It seems that your step mother and father just boarded." Cagalli's face turned pale.

"Just dress a little nicer at dinner, he said," He tipped his hat to Athrun and trailed off at a leisurely stroll down the deck. Cagalli turned to Athrun and stuttered. Then she addressed him in a shriek like, high pitched voice of shock.

"Do you have a suit?"

"A what?"

"A bloody fucking suit!" she hissed under her breath. He shook his head, rolling her eyes and groaning she took him by the elbow and dragged him down the deck and into a side door into what seemed like a gym room. There was another door at the end of the room and she pulled Athrun by the elbow over to it, where they ran in. They reached a long third class hallway with beautiful cream colored walls and rich carpets but Athrun had no time to marvel. Cagalli sped up her pace when she saw a clock at the end of the way.

Cagalli pulled him into a maids room on the left at a sharp turn. Inside the small room was a hearty collection of buckets, pails, brooms, Javex and a variety of other cleaning products. Behind a pile of buckets and mops Cagalli cleared a small crevice where a little cupboard was found.

"A cupboard, lovely." Athrun seethed.

"Don't be so mean, have a little faith," She opened the cupboard and Athrun saw a passageway into a luxurious room.

"There is a God," Athrun mumbled as they crawled into the space.

"I have a lot of free time on my hands so I go exploring. It's a little something-something I learned from Meriallia." She explained, once they were in the lavish room, Cagalli went into her closet of clothes and found a nice looking dinner tux.

"Here, go dress and I'll do your hair." She handed him the tux.

"Where do I change?" Cagalli groaned and turned her back.

"I promise I won't look."

"Oh, really?" Cagalli smirked and turned around.

"I bet I've seen better," She laughed and turned her back to him again. Athrun smiled behind her as she took off his pants when a door opened on the other side of the room.

"Cagalli! Where are you?" Cagalli shrieked and rushed to lock the door just as it nearly opened.

"Cagalli? What's wrong?"

"I'm getting dressed for dinner, go away." That must be Yuna on the other side, Athrun thought to himself.

"It's not as if I've never seen you like that before! C'mon, give me a little dessert before the main coarse!" Cagalli rolled her eyes and puckered her lip. Athrun smiled wryly at their conversation.

"I'm still pissed off at you for touching me like that now leave me alone!" There was a murmur behind the door and the banging of another one and then all was silent. Cagalli exhaled and breathed in sharply.

"The things I do for you," Cagalli said to Athrun. He pulled on his pants and flapped out the white shirt.

"I never asked to come to the dinner," He said, Cagalli's heart did a little frontward flip that scared her a bit.

"You don't want to come?"

"No, that's not it, I'm just saying that you don't have to do all these things for me, I'm grateful." Athrun put his hands into his pockets and fumbled with a ring he jacked from the box while Cagalli was fighting off her horny fiancée.

XTiTaNiCX

Meriallia fluttered her fan in front of her face as her mother applied another thick layer of baby powder.

"Mother you're going to give yourself acne,"

"Don't be stupid, child. After menopause you simply cannot get acne," Meriallia's mother said.

Molly Haww was the kind of mother that was strict but loving. Tough love, as some would call it. Molly ruled over her child and step child with a fist of diamond encrusted steel. Her social life was no different. She spoke her mind and interrupted people when they spoke. Her ears were keen and she could sense sarcasm, filth or anything else unruly like a sixth sense. Her eyes were of the darkest hazel and her skin color a faint bronze of long ago beauty. Now at 52 she used tape on her sagging breasts and eye lids to keep her looking top shape and many layers of make up to achieve the beauty she once had no easily. Age kills your life, she would say.

Meriallia sighed. The maid came back from the parlor and tapped on the door lightly.

"Come in," Molly spoke. The husky, robust female stalked in. Meriallia could recall this as the maid who had entranced Yuna.

"How may I be of your assistance?" The maid questioned.

"Do up her corset and tame that boisterous hair of hers."

"Yes, Miss." Meriallia stood up and allowed the maid girl to tighten the straps on her corset of whale bone. Milly sucked in a deep breath.

"What about this Athrun man coming to dinner? Meriallia what do you know of him? Who is he?" The maid tightened the strings far too taught for Milly to breathe.

"Please! Loosen it up a little,"

"Sorry Miss," Molly scoffed and started to brush out her long graying hair.

"Disobedient fingers mean a distracted mind. Go away, you. I'll do it myself." The maid nodded, curtsied and exited with a sour expression. Molly stood up and started to tighten up the straps again.

"So, how is everything with you and Matt?"

"Fine, Mother. I think I really like him," Milly wheezed.

"It's good that you like him. Still, even if you didn't, you still would have gone through the marriage regardless. Frankly you have no say," Meriallia turned around so violently, she snapped one of the laces on her corset.

"What do you mean by that?" Molly was just about to scold her for snapping a lace, but went to get another one from the box while she explained.

"Of course, your step-father arranged for the courting and everything. Same goes for Cagalli and Yuna." She looked at the horrified face on Meriallia.

"What? You didn't know this? Hasn't Cagalli told you, the mischievous little ragamuffin?" Meriallia recalled their first tea aboard and she couldn't believe her ears. Matt loved her! He kissed her and held her and when they were far apart for a long time, he relished and looked forward to their next reunion. How could he not love her? What wasn't there to like about her? She was elegant, poise and intelligent. She'd be a good wife. Isn't what men were looking for now-a-days?

"But the necklace?" Molly moaned clearly aggravated with her daughter.

"Meriallia Haww you've got to stop reading your romance novels! Life isn't about falling in love and getting married, it's about making the best out of life and that's what your step father is trying to do."

"By marrying me off to somebody who doesn't love me?" Then it dawned on her, he was only in for the money! Her step-father probably gave him the necklace to give to her, only because Yuna and Cagalli were already promised to each other.

"Love is for the foolish, desperate and stupid. Meriallia I have a dreadful headache right now, please let me do your straps and then let us go to dinner? Please?" Meriallia stayed quiet as her mother fixed her corset.

"Why did you marry George then?" (George, Cagalli's father I was too lazy to look on the internet for names. I will fix if I find until now read on, Mushroom Warriors READ ON!)

"Because it was the best thing to do at the time," She answered shortly. Once Meriallia was tightened up, she put on a smooth black dress.

"Ahh, you look wonderful, daughter." Molly caressed her daughters cheek, which made her smile.

"You know I'll always love you,"

"I know Mama," Molly leaned down to kiss Milly on the top of the head.

"That's a good girl. Now go put on some panty hose, your legs feel like a magical forest!"

XTiTaNiCX 

Cagalli added a light, red feather to the bun on the back of her hair and watched through her mirror at Athrun who was trying to one handedly do up his cuff-buttons.

"Need a little help?"

"No I… why can't I just leave these un-done?" Cagalli laughed as if he just uttered a funny joke.

"Because what will my friends think of you? No doing up your cuffs, they'll think you're some type of low class moron." Athrun laughed as he finally did up one of the cuffs.

"But I _**am **_a low class moron." Cagalli smiled out of his range and stood up from her dressing table and came to fix his wild hair.

"What will I ever do to it?"

"Leave it alone like that?" Cagalli took a small wooden teeth comb and started to brush through his blue hair. Finally, she found the straight hair-line and combed it down.

"There, now you look like a gentleman of society," Athrun smiled boyishly and loosened his collar a little bit.

"I feel like… a peacock." He said, Cagalli slipped on her gloves and straightened them.

"Now, what I want you to keep in mind is the fact that these people make or break my fathers reputation, please act nice. No swearing, spitting or anything stupid like that." Athrun blew a raspberry while rolling his eyes.

"I think I know what I'm doing—" Without warning the door opened and in strode Meriallia with a black strapless dress and lace gloves.

"Oh, my—"

"Milly please shut up!" Cagalli rushed to the door, shut it and locked it. She then dragged Milly to her own bed to drill her.

"What the hell is he doing here? Who the hell is he?" Meriallia gushed.

"His name is Athrun and he saved my live, just so you know. Please, if you tell Father or Mother or anybody I'll be disinherited for life and kicked out of the house!" Athrun didn't fully think of the costs of him even being in the same room as her, and he was somewhat proud of her for taking such a risk.

"Don't worry about it, just," She took one look at Athrun's gorgeous face, then at Cagalli's.

"Nothing, I'll keep your secret." Milly vowed. Cagalli sighed and shut her eyes in relive and hugged her step sister.

"Thanks, Milly. You don't know how much this means to me," Cagalli surged; Meriallia gave her a warm smile and broke the embrace.

"Now, let's get to dinner, shall we?" Milly said and turned around with a flabbergasted look upon her face.

Athrun was nervous. He wasn't scared but nervous that he'd fuck up big time and leave them all insulted or him humiliated. But when he took Cagalli's arm and strolled with head high into the dining rooms, his fears slowly solidified. The people had spoons up their asses, he could tell that. When Cagalli smeared their skeletons out like paint on a canvas, Athrun felt assured that just because he made some poor decisions in life which made him the lowest of the low, that meant the rich, loaded with pockets thick with money could sink even lower then him.

"… and that's Joseph McGuire, his wife see? Shea has her own little fighting circle. Apparently she comes from a long line of Transylvanians, hint, hint. And that man over there," Cagalli pointed to a stocky, well groomed man with striking black hair with lines of grey dashed in it.

"That is Travis Tyner the richest man aboard this ship. He picks his nose when he bends down at the dinner table to tie his shoe laces." Athrun stifled a snicker as he nodded discretely to an elderly lady in a brown dress.

After waltzing through the hallway, Cagalli finally led Athrun to a large oval shaped table with a white table cloth. There were already four or five debutants sitting there, laughing it up. Among them was another blue haired man and a wine colored lady, involved in deep conversation. The young man with the black hair he had met earlier was also there, he was idly sipping red wine as he stared at a waiter giving out drinks. Cagalli cleared her throat to gain attention.

"Meriallia, Yuna may I please present Athrun Zala." Athrun bowed with his arm draped across his stomach. Yuna laughed and smacked his knee.

"Zala! God, man you gave us all a laugh, Cagalli dear but please where is that ragamuffin?" Athrun coughed into his clenched fist once and gargled.

"Oh, it is you. Please, accept my apologies." Yuna stood up to shake Athrun's hand who shook it warmly.

"Athrun this is Meriallia Haww, my step sister."

"How do you do, Mr. Zala?" Athrun took Milly's hand and kissed it quickly.

"Very well, thank you." Athrun replied.

"And I assume you've met Matt before?" Cagalli questioned, Athrun shook his hand as well. Cagalli headed for her chair, and Athrun jumped to catch it for her. He took out her chair and tucked it in again for her.

"Thank you," She said, and sat down and crossed her legs elegantly. Athrun, too sat down on the chair beside her, and then he saw the dinner plates. Goddamn the dinner plates.

Three forks, four spoons, three knives, two goblets, three plates, two napkins and a small, pin-wheel like silver thing. Athrun gaped.

"Cagalli, what do I start with…?"

"Just start on the outside and work your way in." She said, a waiter came round with a bottle of bubbly champagne and Athrun took a small cup of it. He tasted the bubbly liquid and took an immediate liking to it as soon as it tingled his taste buds.

"It's wonderful, isn't it?" Yuna chirped from the other side of the table while Athrun savored his drink.

"It's a pity that you'll never have anything as grand as that every again, right?" Athrun wished he could spit into Yuna's well make-upped face. From under his plate, Athrun found a menu, he glanced over it and gaped in shock.

_**Duck Breast in port and grape sauce. Chicken Cordon Bleu with olives, beef broth couscous with slow cooked beef tenderloin, rack of lamb with delicate mint jelly… **_the list went on and on. Every dish on here must cost over $50 dollars a plate!

"So, are you ordering your starter?" Cagalli chimed, Athrun didn't even miss a step.

"I'll have the ceaser salad as a starter, please and for the main course I'll have… the duck breast." Turns out, Athrun didn't like it because the portion was too small and the duck itself was too fatty. But Cagalli, who ordered it, devoured it with relish. Athrun reluctantly finished his meal and smiled at the end.

"That was pretty good, although myself, I've never had such a thing before," Yuna snorted from across the table.

"What are you used to? Rating rats off tin plates in your alleys in London?" Athrun forced a passable smile and sipped some wine from his goblet.

"Now, now don't be denoting! They prefer to be called mice," A roar of laughter echoed across the table as Cagalli signaled for her glass to be refilled. He couldn't believe how easy it was to act posh, he felt so engrossed in his acting skills that he could feel the spray of the ocean mist where he had, had his 16th birthday. He could clearly see in his head the portrait of his great-grandfather above the mantle in his home in Maine. From across the table, he felt Cagalli smile at him. Truly, he thought, she was beautiful. Her shiny amber eyes that tore into his soul, her clear complexion and her bright blond hair would plaster in his mind for all time. He smiled back at her. A brunette placed beside him wiped a tear from her blue eye and beamed at him.

"Oh, dearest Athrun the stories you tell the most amazing stories!"

"Thank you, Madame," Athrun answered cheerily. A cart came around bearing desserts came around, and it was then did Yuna stand up and address the men at the table.

"Men, I'm just off to the parlor for a smoke and some brandy, would you care to join me?" A chorus of agreement flooded Athrun's ears.

"What about you, Mr. Zala? Would you care to join us?" Athrun shook his head and smiled coyly.

"Nah, the slave has got to get back to the barracks," Another wave of laughter sung in his ears.

"Thank you for the dinner, your company was as fine as our economy," They laughed even harder. Athrun pulled a tightly folded note from his pocket and clenched it in his hand as he walked over to Cagalli and took her hand and kissed it gently.

"Bring Milly," he whispered into her ear as he left the note in her hand. Once he left, Cagalli turned her back from her step-mother and opened the note.

_**Make it count, meet me at the elevator.**_

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A/N: HELLO WORLD! PLEASE REVIEW! I love you…

.kittykute


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